What is a Business Analyst?What is a Business Analyst?

A Business Analyst is someone who A Business Analyst is someone who works as a liaison among stakeholders works as a liaison among stakeholders in order to elicit, analyze, in order to elicit, analyze, communicate and validate communicate and validate requirements for changes to business requirements for changes to business processes, policies and information processes, policies and information systems. systems.

Function of a Business Function of a Business Analyst?Analyst?

►Understands business problems and Understands business problems and opportunitiesopportunities

►Recommends solutions that enable the Recommends solutions that enable the organization to achieve its goals.organization to achieve its goals.

►Document the solutions and Document the solutions and communicate it to all stakeholderscommunicate it to all stakeholders

What is a requirement?What is a requirement?

1.1. A condition or capability needed by a A condition or capability needed by a stakeholder to solve a problem or achieve stakeholder to solve a problem or achieve objective.objective.

2.2. A condition or capability that must be met or A condition or capability that must be met or possessed by a system or system component possessed by a system or system component to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed documents.or other formally imposed documents.

3.3. A documented representation of a condition A documented representation of a condition or capability as in (1) or (2).or capability as in (1) or (2).

Properties of a RequirementProperties of a Requirement

► functionality - What the system can dofunctionality - What the system can do►constraints - what the system cannot doconstraints - what the system cannot do►contents - what must be present in the contents - what must be present in the

systemsystem►condition - a state that must exist at a condition - a state that must exist at a

particular timeparticular time►process - how a system provides a process - how a system provides a

capabilitycapability

Types of RequirementsTypes of Requirements► Business Requirements are higher-level statements Business Requirements are higher-level statements

of the goals, objectives, or needs of the enterprise. of the goals, objectives, or needs of the enterprise. They describe such things the reasons why a project They describe such things the reasons why a project is initiated, the things that the project will achieve, is initiated, the things that the project will achieve, and the metrics which will be used to measure its and the metrics which will be used to measure its success. success.

► User Requirements are statements of the needs of a User Requirements are statements of the needs of a particular stakeholder or class of stakeholders. They particular stakeholder or class of stakeholders. They describe the needs that a given stakeholder has and describe the needs that a given stakeholder has and how that stakeholder will interact with a solution.how that stakeholder will interact with a solution.

► Functional Requirements describe the behavior and Functional Requirements describe the behavior and information that the solution will manage. They information that the solution will manage. They describe capabilities the system will be able to describe capabilities the system will be able to perform in terms of behaviors or operations – a perform in terms of behaviors or operations – a specific system action or response.specific system action or response.

Types of Requirements Types of Requirements (contd.)(contd.)

► Quality of Service Requirements capture conditions that Quality of Service Requirements capture conditions that do not directly relate to the behavior or functionality of do not directly relate to the behavior or functionality of the solution, but rather describe environmental conditions the solution, but rather describe environmental conditions under which the solution must remain effective or under which the solution must remain effective or qualities that the systems must have.qualities that the systems must have.

► Assumptions and constraints identify aspects of the Assumptions and constraints identify aspects of the problem domain that are not functional requirements of a problem domain that are not functional requirements of a solution, and will limit or impact the design of the solution.solution, and will limit or impact the design of the solution.

► Implementation requirements describe capabilities that Implementation requirements describe capabilities that the solution must have in order to facilitate transition from the solution must have in order to facilitate transition from the current state of the enterprise to the desired future the current state of the enterprise to the desired future state, but that will not be needed once that transition is state, but that will not be needed once that transition is complete.complete.

Business Analysis ConceptsBusiness Analysis Concepts

Enterprise AnalysisEnterprise Analysis

► An analysis of the business domain to provide An analysis of the business domain to provide context for requirements and functional design context for requirements and functional design work. This work is sometimes investigative and may work. This work is sometimes investigative and may be treated as a project in itself.be treated as a project in itself.

► Activities involved include:Activities involved include: Creating and maintaining the Business ArchitectureCreating and maintaining the Business Architecture Conducting feasibility studies to determine the optimum Conducting feasibility studies to determine the optimum

business solutionbusiness solution Scoping and defining the new business opportunityScoping and defining the new business opportunity Preparing the Business CasePreparing the Business Case Conducting the initial Risk AssessmentConducting the initial Risk Assessment

Requirements Planning and Requirements Planning and ManagementManagement

► This defines the resources and tasks associated with This defines the resources and tasks associated with the planning and management of requirements the planning and management of requirements gathering activities throughout the requirements gathering activities throughout the requirements process. The Business Analyst must define the process. The Business Analyst must define the requirements activities that will be performed and requirements activities that will be performed and how those activities will be performed on a project, in how those activities will be performed on a project, in accordance with any existing standards in the accordance with any existing standards in the organization. organization.

► It includes identifying key roles, selecting It includes identifying key roles, selecting requirements activities, managing the requirements requirements activities, managing the requirements scope and ongoing communication of the scope and ongoing communication of the requirements gathering status. Proper planning and requirements gathering status. Proper planning and management of requirements gathering activities management of requirements gathering activities ensures the success of the requirements process and ensures the success of the requirements process and requirements deliverables.requirements deliverables.

Requirements Planning and Requirements Planning and ManagementManagement

► Important characteristics in requirements planning and Important characteristics in requirements planning and management:management:

The set of requirements activities undertaken are the most The set of requirements activities undertaken are the most appropriate, given the unique circumstances of the project,appropriate, given the unique circumstances of the project,

The requirements work effort is coordinated with the other work The requirements work effort is coordinated with the other work being done for the projectbeing done for the project

The whole requirements team on a project has a common The whole requirements team on a project has a common understanding of what activities they are undertakingunderstanding of what activities they are undertaking

Business analysts are able to monitor and react to requirements Business analysts are able to monitor and react to requirements challenges and slippagechallenges and slippage

The tools, resources and requirements contributors are available as The tools, resources and requirements contributors are available as needed for the requirements activitiesneeded for the requirements activities

Changes are captured correctly and consistently.Changes are captured correctly and consistently.

Requirements ElicitationRequirements Elicitation

► This uses proven means to gather requirements such This uses proven means to gather requirements such that the resulting requirements would be :that the resulting requirements would be : CompleteComplete ClearClear CorrectCorrect Consistent. Consistent.

► The system in question may be a business system, The system in question may be a business system, and automated system or both. The scope of the and automated system or both. The scope of the Elicitation work may be a new system or an Elicitation work may be a new system or an enhancement to an existing system. The business enhancement to an existing system. The business analysis professional selects the appropriate mean(s) analysis professional selects the appropriate mean(s) to gather the needed requirements based on the to gather the needed requirements based on the applicability of a technique’s process, key features applicability of a technique’s process, key features and strengths and weakness.and strengths and weakness.

Requirements Analysis and Requirements Analysis and DocumentationDocumentation

► The objective of this task is to define and describe the The objective of this task is to define and describe the characteristics of an acceptable solution to a business characteristics of an acceptable solution to a business problem, so that the project team has a clear problem, so that the project team has a clear understanding of how to design and implement it.understanding of how to design and implement it.

► Requirements analysis defines the methods, tools and Requirements analysis defines the methods, tools and techniques used to structure the raw data collected techniques used to structure the raw data collected during Requirements Elicitation, identify gaps in the during Requirements Elicitation, identify gaps in the information and define the capabilities of the solution, information and define the capabilities of the solution, which must be documented.which must be documented.

► Deliverables from this process will be used by the Deliverables from this process will be used by the project team to develop estimates for the time, project team to develop estimates for the time, resources, and budget required to implement a resources, and budget required to implement a solution or solutions that will fulfill the requirements. solution or solutions that will fulfill the requirements.

Requirement CommunicationRequirement Communication► An effective business analyst must be able An effective business analyst must be able

to clearly present the requirements in a to clearly present the requirements in a format and structure that is appropriate for format and structure that is appropriate for its intended audience. Business Analysts its intended audience. Business Analysts must understand the options and select must understand the options and select the appropriate communication formats for the appropriate communication formats for their project. BAs must consider when and their project. BAs must consider when and where communications need to take place, where communications need to take place, what communication approach is what communication approach is appropriate for each situation, and how appropriate for each situation, and how each communication should be presented. each communication should be presented. Requirements must be “packaged,” Requirements must be “packaged,” reviewed, and approved before the reviewed, and approved before the solution is implemented.solution is implemented.

Solution Assessment and Solution Assessment and ValidationValidation

► The Business Analyst assists the technology team The Business Analyst assists the technology team with detailed design work including splitting a large with detailed design work including splitting a large project into phases, reviewing technical design project into phases, reviewing technical design deliverables, and helping to build usability into the deliverables, and helping to build usability into the application software. In the case of a purchased application software. In the case of a purchased solution, they will assist with any package solution, they will assist with any package customization decisions that need to be made and customization decisions that need to be made and with interface requirements. As the solution is built with interface requirements. As the solution is built and available for testing, the Business Analyst role and available for testing, the Business Analyst role involves supporting the Quality Assurance activities. involves supporting the Quality Assurance activities. They may help business stakeholders with user They may help business stakeholders with user acceptance testing, defect reporting and resolution.acceptance testing, defect reporting and resolution.

► The Business Analyst is accountable for ensuring The Business Analyst is accountable for ensuring that the solution developed meets the defined that the solution developed meets the defined needs and should assess project success after needs and should assess project success after implementation.implementation.